I. What is Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)?

IAQ stands for Indoor Air Quality, which includes indoor temperature, humidity, air cleanliness, and fresh air volume. Historically, IAQ research focused on temperature and humidity. Recently, due to the introduction of air conditioning systems in modern buildings, increased office modernization, the popularity of household appliances, and improved building airtightness for energy saving, indoor air pollutants cannot be exchanged, leading to "Sick Building Syndrome," which has attracted widespread attention. Indoor air purification has now become a focal point of the environmental protection industry.

II. The 5 Major Culprits of Indoor Air Pollution

[1. Formaldehyde]

Sources: Plywood, blockboard, medium-density fiberboard, and particleboard used for interior decoration; adhesives; prefabricated panels, wall cloths, wallpapers, synthetic fiber carpets, foam plastics, paints, and coatings.

[2. Benzene]

Sources: Mainly found in higher concentrations in decoration materials such as paints, thinners, various adhesives, waterproof materials, and some low-grade or counterfeit coatings.

[3. Ammonia]

Sources: Mainly from concrete additives used in building construction; additionally, it can come from additives and whiteners in interior decoration materials.

[4. TVOC]

Sources: May enter from outdoor air or be emitted from building materials, cleaning agents, cosmetics, wax products, carpets, furniture, laser printers, photocopiers, adhesives, and indoor paints.

[5. Radon]

Sources: Building and decoration materials, especially slag bricks, furnace slag bricks, and natural stones like granite and ceramic tiles, which usually contain varying degrees of radium and uranium.

Indoor Air Purification Methods:

1. Ventilation

The most common method. However, simply opening doors and windows may not ensure that harmful substances are reduced to safe levels.

2. Green Plant Purification

Plants with strong formaldehyde absorption include cacti, spider plants, aloe vera, Clivia, sago cycas, and chrysanthemums. Plants play a supplementary role, but for large rooms, the purification effect cannot be fully guaranteed.

3. Folk Methods

Placing tea dregs, pomelo peels, onion slices, or pineapple chunks in newly renovated rooms. These methods actually only mask odors and do not absorb formaldehyde.

4. Air Fresheners

Perfumes and air fresheners only temporarily mask odors and do not remove harmful substances. Furthermore, they may cause secondary pollution.

5. Air Purifiers

Air purifiers are categorized into negative ion, ozone, filter/adsorption, electrostatic, and photocatalyst types. Different air purifiers have different working principles. For instance, negative ion types decompose odors and attached smoke by generating negative ions.

Air purifiers provide obvious effects, high automation, and stable operation without manual maintenance. However, product quality varies on the market, so careful selection is necessary.

For safety reasons, buying ozone types is not recommended. Although they have strong sterilization capabilities, ozone is a pollutant gas that can cause secondary pollution and health issues like neurological poisoning and vision loss. It is recommended to choose filter adsorption + photocatalyst types.

The main working principle of an air purifier is to draw in indoor air, remove dust and odors, and exhaust clean air. Utilizing sensors to detect air quality is a popular modern method. With the increase in smoggy weather, the market for air purifiers has become increasingly hot, focusing on removing second-hand smoke, pollen, formaldehyde, and the highly concerned PM2.5.

In recent years, manufacturers have developed diverse products to meet different user needs. Sensors play a vital role here; for example, air quality (Formaldehyde, VOC) and PM2.5 sensors have become standard equipment, allowing machines to run automatically by intelligently detecting indoor air conditions. Some purifiers with humidification functions also use temperature and humidity sensors to maintain comfort.